In the past, a traditional method for transporting corrosive fluids such as commercial acids and alkalies was in tank trucks or railroad cars, the insides of which were lined with a corrosion-resistant rubber. These corrosive fluids were removed from the tank cars or trucks through siphons extended into the tanks. These siphons were customarily steel pipe coated with rubber, often 1/16th inch butadiene rubber. These rubber coated siphon tubes were heavy, susceptible to abrasion and unwieldy. They were made only in standard lengths and could not be cut down to fit tank cars other than those for which they were designed, because to do so would destroy the integrity of the rubber coating. Commercial acids in particular are known to contain minute concentrations of organic solvents which will dissolve the rubber coating on the siphon and the rubber lining of the tank and allow the acid to corrode the metal parts of the siphon and tank. The rubber coatings are susceptible to minute pin holes, through which the corrosive fluids carried in the tanks can penetrate to the steel of the tank walls and siphon, thereby causing corrosion. There was also the danger of abuse of such tanks and siphons by users. For instance, railroad cars carrying sulphuric acid would be shipped to their destination, and on the return trip, so as to avoid the transportation of empty tank cars, the shipper would fill the tank cars with acetone or other such organic solvent. The result of such a practice is to ruin the interior of such a tank car, since organic solvents will attack the rubber lining.
Although corrosion resistant resins are known, their use to manufacture siphons for the removal of corrosive fluids from tanks has not been recognized. In particular, there seemed to be no reason to make fiberglass pipe which was corrosion resistant on both the inside and outside surfaces of the pipe. It was further thought that fiberglass pipe was not sufficiently sturdy to be used for tank car siphons.